Improvement in war-rockets



2 Sheets----Sheei; 1.

J. B. YDE.

Rocket.

4 Pabented Sept. 22. 1863.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. B. HYDE.

Rocket. No. 40,041.. Patented sept. 22, 1863.

- of that part of the rocket which gives it rota- .the contents of the shell or head of the rocket;

r tion to the rocket. VRockets have also been sucf-i NiTEi) ST-'rss J. BUn'noWs Hven, or NEWARK, NEW Jnnsnr;

` lMPROVEMENT lN W'AR--ROCKETAS.:

Specification forming part of -Iietters Patent No. 46,041, dated September 22, 1863; antedated April 25, 1863.

To aZ-Z whom it may cancern.:

Be it known that I, J. BURnoWs HYDE, of the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in lVar and other Rock'ets; and I do hereby declare that the following` is a full and exact description of the salme, reference being had to the accompanyi-ng drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

' The nature of my invention consists,ifirst,l in an improved construction or arrangement tion from lateral or tangential holes for the escape of the burning gases therefrom; and, secondly, in an improved means for igniting and, thirdly, it consists in an improved method of firing the `contents Iof the shell when charged with incendiary composition.

Rockets are usually guided in their flight by some caudal appendage, generally a long rod, b'nt sometimes a short tail provided with lateral Wings or fipanges, which wingshavesometimes been made of a spiral shape, to give rotacessfully used without any tail, but aremadc to rotate by the escape of -gas from holes bored tangentially through the tail endl of the rocket into the composition. These holes have also been bored into a recessin the head of the rocket, which must necessarily, therefore, be a shot-head instead of a shell, as the great heat would ignite the contents and burst the shell prematurely. These holes have also been placed near the central part of the rocket by cutting the tube into two lengths, and so charging each piece with composition as to' leave a separate and distnct core or cell in each for burning-surfaces. The two pieces are then united by riveting them to a diskvor diaphragm, through` the sides ofwhich the tangential rotating holes are bored into the upper core or' cell, which is designed to furnish the rotating-gas, While the lower section is intended to supply the propelling-gas for the rocket. This plan` is inconvenient, expensive, and Weakens the rocket-case.

g For many centuries past rockets have been employed for carrying shells as Well as shot against an enemy. Those shells have been charged with gunpowder, or with gunpowder and projectiles, or with incendiary or carcass composition. All such explosive or infiammable contents of rocket-shells have been ignited by a fuse fixed in the base of the shell, which is then permanently fixed to the rocket-case. The fuse being thus secured inside the rocket, is inaccessible afterward, and is ignited from the burning of the rocket composition, depending entirely thereon for firing the contents of the shell, which great-ly detracts from the utility of rockets for war uses, as the 'time of 'the fase is arbitrary, irrespective of the distance of the object aimed at.

In the drawings, Figure I shows a sideview of the 'exterior of the rocket; Fig. II, a longitudinal section of the same; and Eig. III is a rsectional view through the letters cc.

A shows the tube or case. B showsashellhead; C, the tail-piece; 1 1 1, rivets by which the latter are secured to the case. DI shows the rammed composition; E, the core or firesurface; 2, the rear aperture, and 3 a covering of paper or other material on top of the composition.

My first improvement consists in employing a ring or section of a cylinder, a. a, seeured'on the inside of the case A by the rivets b b or otherwise, and through which case and ring I bore the tangential holes c c. This enables me to have the case entire, with the holes at its center of gravity, and as I by these -holes bore through the composition D into the core E, (see channels d (2,) Iam able to ramthe whole case With composition and employ one common core, as with ordinary plain rockets, so that I can cause the fire to flash simultaneously from each of the tangentials, (three being best,)` and also from the rear orifioe, 2.

My second improvement consists in the employment of and providing the rocket with an adjustable time-fuse, so arranged as to be readily graduated and cut by the gunner, the

i same as with common shell-fuses, accordingto the distance of the object aimed at, and insuring the firing of the shell quite as aceurately as can be done in gun-service, and whichI believe has never before been done with rocketshells. f

Into the base of the shell or head of the rocket and throughthe case I bore a radial end with a proj ecting threaded shoulder to se- A 2V f 40,041 i cure it bya corresponding screw-thread in the head. The outer end of this plug is'slotted for a turn-screw, by which it is remove'd for cutting the fuse, which is made slightly conical, and closely fitting a correspondingbore through the plug' f. The shape of the fuse is to prevent it being thrown out by centrifugal force; e shows an inner plug and fuse secured longitudinally through the base of the shell, similar to the usual rocket-fuse, except that I close both ends. of the plug, whereas usually 1 both ends are left open; Into this'plug e, I| :placefor Jong-range rockets a fuse-of-knowntime, and closethe upper end by a screw-cap,

to prevent thefuse from driving into the shell from the force of the gas at the burning end. Through the sides of this cap, and at the extreme end of the-fuse,- I bore several small holes for communicating fire to the contents vof the shell. The time of this fuse being always known to the gunner, he adds to it the time of the radial fuse, which he. withdraws and cuts accordingly, the fuse e being inaccessible to him. As this fuse must be ignited before the rocket leaves the stand, and quite independent of the rocket composition, it follows. that there should be two distinct and lsimultaneous ignitions for this improved rock- F et. This I efiect -as` follows: hshows a quickmatch, covered withjinflammable paper as' far asi, where it branches in two parts or stems,

` 'oneoflwhichis inserted in one of the tangential apertures, and the other end into or over, the adjustable fuse f. At ga groove or channel is shown cut into and around the rocket-case near its upper end. .Aslight string taking into this groove binds the match upon the fuse f until it is. fired. If the head of the rocket is designed as aburstingzshelhwhetherto contain a `charge of gunpowder alone or gunpowder V and bullets, such charge is introduced by Vre-V moving the screw k u'ntil the charge is complete and the screw replaced. In this case the shell should not be perforated, as is shown in thedrawings at m mm, which are designed to illustrate my third improvement, which l i consists of' the employmcnt'of the herein-described fuse1to set fire'externally to a shell charged with carcass composition. In this case the shell is perforated in various places, '(see m m m,) and is rammed solid with inflammable compositiom'a's at n. I 'then bore through this compositon by oneof the aperturesmto one or more of the perforations in the screw- 'cap of the fase-plug e. (See channel'o.) I

then prime all the recesses formed by the holes m. lNow, I take a cap of proper material,

(netted-er Woven or paper fittingf'tlre'i shell,

whichcap I saturate with quick-burning composition and place it on the shell, as seen at p, partlyfcut away. This hood-match 'I protect by a cap of fine wire, r, with meshes as large aspossible, and the two hoods I secure to the shell by a fine wire, j, wound around the grooveg.V This wire hood should be covered r by oiled paper, to preserve it for storing.

It will be seenthat I can dispense with the inner'fuse, e, anduse the radial or outer fuse only for igniting the contents of the shell; but for' general use the combination of the two fuses, as described, is preferable. What I claim, rand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I- V` 1 1. The construction of a rocket-case with the ring. a, combined with the apertures c c and core E, by means of the channels d or their equivalent, substantially as described. i 4

2. The radial adjustablefusefi arranged,"as-

described, forigniting the contents of the shell fuse, as described.

3.` The hood-matchp and its protector r, se-

"cured and ignited as described.

4. The partially-guarded matchh', with its branches, for simultaneously igniting the rocket and shell-fuse, asdescribed. i J. BURROWS- HYDE. -Witnesses:

p C. C. HYDE, THos. J. J'oNEs; 

